“Do people forget Marbury is ill?” – Chris Hall
In the wake of the Celtics’ recent run of futility, the above statement is becoming more and more poignant.
Do the Green need some outside help? After six losses in the past eight games, the answer seems unequivocally to be ‘yes’. Is it panic time? Of course not. But it’s evident this team needs a little bench help.
I mean, could Boston use a backup point guard who has averaged nearly 20 points and eight assists per game? I think so.
Quite frankly, Stephon Marbury would help this basketball team and here’s why:
1) The Celts have no backup behind Rondo. Cassell is a coach, Gabe Pruitt is too raw (why do you think they have interest in Marbury to begin with?) and Eddie House is a shooter, not a ballhandler, and he’s playing abysmal this season anyway.
Marbury shores up this spot considerably. Can you think of a better Sixth Man than a two-time All-Star who has the potential to drop 30? I can’t. Plus, in certain situations that you’d want to leave Rondo in, you could bring Marbury in at shooting guard and let him fire away.
2) The Celts could go (scary) small. Remember Game 4 of the NBA Finals when the C’s were trailing LA by 20-something, looking hopeless, then on top of it all lost Kendrick Perkins to a shoulder injury? Well, they went to a smaller lineup after that (Garnett at the 5, followed by Posey, Pierce, Allen and Rondo/House) and literally shot their way back into the game, eventually overtaking the Lakers in one of the best comebacks in NBA history.
Marbury would allow them to do something similar. Whether it’s because they’re in a huge hole like the LA game or if they just want to matchup against quicker teams that may go small against them (think Golden State, Charlotte, etc.), the Celts would at least have the opportunity to play Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Marbury and Rondo.
3) Ahh, what you’ve been waiting for this whole time: the attitude. You really, honestly think that after all this, the whole draw-out battle with the Knicks, his reputation tarnished beyond repair, the hoards of sportswriters talking heads out for blood, that Marbury would come in here and become a cancer? No. Chance.
He knows this would be his last stop. He knows everyone would be watching his every move. And he knows that if he did anything, anything bad at all, he’d simply get cut. He’d be making the veterans minimum or whatever portion of the mid-level exception the Celtics have remaining and he’d come in knowing it would be in a reserve role. The Celtics have a locker room full of veterans, a coach who relates to point guards and a tradition and attitude of winning. Hell, even Garnett said he’d take him.
There’s no risk here – and I don’t understand why some people don’t get that. Marbury would be pumped to play again. He’d play with fire and intensity whether out of spite of the Knicks or the thrill of a championship atmosphere. When you can get a veteran former all-star with the potential to be a game changer, and for practically nothing…I say it’s a no-brainer.
In the wake of the Celtics’ recent run of futility, the above statement is becoming more and more poignant.
Do the Green need some outside help? After six losses in the past eight games, the answer seems unequivocally to be ‘yes’. Is it panic time? Of course not. But it’s evident this team needs a little bench help.
I mean, could Boston use a backup point guard who has averaged nearly 20 points and eight assists per game? I think so.
Quite frankly, Stephon Marbury would help this basketball team and here’s why:
1) The Celts have no backup behind Rondo. Cassell is a coach, Gabe Pruitt is too raw (why do you think they have interest in Marbury to begin with?) and Eddie House is a shooter, not a ballhandler, and he’s playing abysmal this season anyway.
Marbury shores up this spot considerably. Can you think of a better Sixth Man than a two-time All-Star who has the potential to drop 30? I can’t. Plus, in certain situations that you’d want to leave Rondo in, you could bring Marbury in at shooting guard and let him fire away.
2) The Celts could go (scary) small. Remember Game 4 of the NBA Finals when the C’s were trailing LA by 20-something, looking hopeless, then on top of it all lost Kendrick Perkins to a shoulder injury? Well, they went to a smaller lineup after that (Garnett at the 5, followed by Posey, Pierce, Allen and Rondo/House) and literally shot their way back into the game, eventually overtaking the Lakers in one of the best comebacks in NBA history.
Marbury would allow them to do something similar. Whether it’s because they’re in a huge hole like the LA game or if they just want to matchup against quicker teams that may go small against them (think Golden State, Charlotte, etc.), the Celts would at least have the opportunity to play Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Marbury and Rondo.
3) Ahh, what you’ve been waiting for this whole time: the attitude. You really, honestly think that after all this, the whole draw-out battle with the Knicks, his reputation tarnished beyond repair, the hoards of sportswriters talking heads out for blood, that Marbury would come in here and become a cancer? No. Chance.
He knows this would be his last stop. He knows everyone would be watching his every move. And he knows that if he did anything, anything bad at all, he’d simply get cut. He’d be making the veterans minimum or whatever portion of the mid-level exception the Celtics have remaining and he’d come in knowing it would be in a reserve role. The Celtics have a locker room full of veterans, a coach who relates to point guards and a tradition and attitude of winning. Hell, even Garnett said he’d take him.
There’s no risk here – and I don’t understand why some people don’t get that. Marbury would be pumped to play again. He’d play with fire and intensity whether out of spite of the Knicks or the thrill of a championship atmosphere. When you can get a veteran former all-star with the potential to be a game changer, and for practically nothing…I say it’s a no-brainer.
--Nick
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Just call me Tony Reali from PTI.....correction: the C's have now lost 6 games in the last 8.
ReplyDeleteP.S. - I honestly don't want this selfish nugget Stephanie Marbury. Gabe Pruitt is raw, but he managed to average 19 pts, 4 assists, 3 rebs, 2 steals, while shooting 43.3% from the field in one year in the NBA D- League. Give my duuude a shot, before we sign someone with this (http://imgsrv.sportsradio610.com/image/kilt2/UserFiles/Image/Tattoo.jpg) tattoo'd on their head. SSG's eat your hearts out.....
I hated this idea for a while because Marbury is a me first, shoot first pg who has been a loser everywhere he's been(MN, NJ, PX, NY) Add that to the fact that he ruined KG's young Wolves team because he was jealous of his contract and forced his way out of town. Then I hear KG is cool with it? Fuck it, bring this guy in immediately and see what's good. One wrong move and he's gone.
ReplyDelete-Chris Donovan (the younger one)